July 29, 2010 Complete transcript from Pac-10
PASADENA, Calif. - The picturesque setting at the Rose Bowl was a change. So was the two-day jaunt for coaches and selected student-athletes to New York City and ESPN. And as the 2010 Pac-10 media day came to a close, it was clear the conference has embraced its new image going forward. To wrap up the trip, coaches and players from each institution took to the podium at the venerable stadium and discussed the upcoming season. Washington coach Steve Sarkisian and Mason Foster were asked a variety of questions by local and national media members. All of the conference coaches and a player from each team all arrived at the Rose Bowl Thursday morning and departed at about 2:30 p.m. The coaches will remain in L.A. for one last event Thursday evening while the players dispersed, many of them headed home for a few days before fall camps open. During their time at the Rose Bowl, the coaches and players not only appeared on the the dais in front of the assembled press, but also participated in a number of one-on-one radio and television interviews. They taped material for Pac-10 football TV productions, signed a number of footballs for the conference and then, after a group photo, sat down for lunch, where the members of the media had additionally one-on-one time with them. Much of the talk of the day, obviously, revolved around the expansion of the Pac-10 and Utah and Colorado will be joining in the next year or two to make it the Pac-12. The press were also interested to get the coaches' opinions on their trip to the East Coast (they were unanimously favorable) and the new media day format. On the news side of things, Coach Sarkisian stated that linebacker Alvin Logan will no longer play for the Huskies due to persistent knee problems. Below are a selection of quotes from Coach Sark and Foster: Coach Steve Sarkisian Opening statement "Growing up in the Pac-10 and Southern California and watching this great conference, I think this event is fantastic. I think it's indicative of Larry Scott and his aggressiveness. I think this conference is headed in a tremendous direction. I'm excited for our football program because I think we're on that same wave." "We are obviously led by a tremendous senior quarterback in Jake Locker who has all of us primed for a fantastic senior season. His work ethic on and off the field is tremendous. The leadership he provides on the offensive side of the football is huge for us." "On the defensive side, Mason Foster is a fantastic player. We've got the senior leadership to bring the young guys along to do something pretty special. That doesn't mean you go out and win every game, because this is a very difficult conference and there's a lot of parity. That doesn't mean we don't have great football teams. We have great coaches and tremendous players." "Our challenge is to take that next step. As we move towards the season and the Pac-10 Conference and the Race for the Roses, it is going to be an exciting time." On the importance of Northwest schools to be playing in Los Angeles On coaching against USC head coach Lane Kiffin after working together at USC "It will be extremely competitive. Lane and I are still great friends. He will do a great job at USC. It will be fun to see each other on opposing sidelines. Hopefully we get to do it for quite some team against each other." On quarterback Jake Locker's decision to stay for his senior season "I thought we all handled it very well. We really tried to get him to a point where we could educate him and ultimately let him go make the decision. He's physically gifted. He's a better human being. The humility and loyalty he has is something we try to embody in our program. How he handled the situation is indicative of who he is." On the value of a quarterback like Jake Locker in the Pac-10 "Historically in this Conference, the teams that have won Pac-10 Championships or have been in that race at the end have had veteran leadership at that position. Ultimately, if you really want to win a Pac-10 Championship, you have to find a way to win on the road. We will take the advantage of having that senior quarterback who has been in those environments." Senior linebacker Mason Foster On defensive coordinator Nick Holt and what he means to the defense |
